DOJ starts codifying rules on preliminary investigation

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has started codifying its Rules on Preliminary Investigation (RPI), underscoring its commitment to support the search for truth and justice.

Speaking at the first meeting of the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) for 2011 held recently in Manila, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the codification of the RPI is aimed to foreclose the arbitrary exercise of discretion during this stage of the criminal justice system.

De Lima also gave assurance of the department’s commitment of support.

“We may have different interpretations of the truth and various layers of meaning, but in the realm of administration of justice, truth can only be extracted and understood in the expeditious and impartial delivery of justice anchored on the principles of protection of the State’s rights and safeguarding of individual liberties,” she said.

De Lima also used the occasion to underscore developments in the Justice department.

She said the launching of the Code of Conduct for the Prosecution Service in December 2010 was a significant development at the DOJ under her watch.

The Code sets the standards for appropriate behavior for the prosecutors and the prosecution support staff.  

She said the DOJ also launched the Electronic Prosecution Case Management System, which seeks to monitor case inflow, history and aging.

Late last year, De Lima said the DOJ conducted a department-wide executive planning session, which sought to articulate a justice framework that will serve as its compass as it carries out the task of governance for development.

The DOJ also holds weekly Executive Committee meetings and a monthly management committee meeting to discuss pressing and institutional issues.

“We organize a series of fora with our institutional partners to listen to their ideas and incorporate them into our framework,” she said.

“The DOJ teams are also fine-tuning the DOJ Development Agenda to comply with zero-based budgeting as mandated by the President for the 2012 General Appropriations Act,” she added.

Another development that the agency is presently studying is the Performance Standards and Evaluation Systems for Prosecutors, which was presented to the Executive Committee and targeted to be pilot-tested in the Office of the Prosecutor General.

“This system hopes to enable the organization to align duties and responsibilities with true and enforceable accountability,” she said.